For Irish sovereignty, not servitude. Republican Socialists for Lexit. IRSP
The Irish Republican Socialist Party has voiced it opposition to the European Union since its inception. From the outset it was easy to predict that an amalgamation of capitalist and monarchist states will serve only the interests of the few. Predictably we have been proved correct time and time again by the European elite using the union to work in its own selfish class interests.
It’s important for the Irish republican left to view the potential UK exit from the EU as an opportunity to give momentum to our own calls for national liberation, for self-determination, sovereignty for socialism. If the island of Ireland is ever to be truly free we must cast off the chains of the EU and UK alike.
A referendum was held in the “Republic of Ireland” in June 2001 to approve the Treaty of Nice, the Irish electorate voted by 53.9% to 46.1% against ratification of the Treaty, against the corporate bosses agenda contained within it. The EU establishment pushed ahead with the mechanisms to implement the Treaty of Nice, irrespective of the Irish referendum result.
In October 2002 the Irish electorate were forced back to a second referendum, scare mongered by the Irish political establishment and EU leaders, the result was a 62% vote in favour of the Treaty of Nice.
In June 2008 the Irish electorate was asked to vote in a referendum to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. The Lisbon Treaty was defeated by the Irish electorate by 53.4% to 46.6%, the Treaty was rejected due to concerns around EU militarisation and Irish neutrality. Legitimate concerns as we see the so called “Irish Defence Forces” just about to join an EU Battle-Group
In October 2009 once again the Irish electorate were forced back to a second referendum, scare mongered by the Irish political establishment and EU leaders, the result was a 67% vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty.
The successive referendum fiascos mentioned are proof enough, if more was needed, that the EU only projects the illusion of a democratic project when in-fact all real power rests with the thousands of corporate lobbyists who exist at its heart, in Brussels, constantly pushing their neo-liberal agenda of privatisation, lack of social spending and globalisation.
First drafts of Irish economic budgets have circulated German Parliamentary Committees like confetti since 2008. Shannon Airport has been opened up for extra-ordinary rendition flights and the transporting of thousands of imperialist forces of occupation, our fisheries have been decimated. Irish national resources sold to the highest bidders. Social spending cuts, unemployment, poverty, evictions, another generation of emigration.
This was the meticulous and careful work of the EU, slowly eroding member states sovereignty continuously redistributing the wealth of the people to the Billionaire class.
Portugal, Spain, Greece all met with the same harsh neo-liberal realities and now French working conditions are in the EU firing line, it’s only a question who’s next?
The Irish Republican Socialist Party has been anti-EEC/EU since its inception writing in its first press release in 1975 “It will be an immediate objective of the Party to launch an intensive campaign of opposition to the E.E.C membership. We, therefore, intend to play an active part in the E.E.C. referendum in the Six County area and through our support groups in Britain.”
We stand for a democratic socialist society in which all political power rests in the capable hands of each citizen. We can never support European capitalism uniting to force their neo-liberal agenda on supposedly sovereign nations.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, what the capitalists really crave, will elevate multinational corporations to the level of nation states; give multinational corporations the power to hold sovereign states to ransom, to fine them in international courts for perceived losses of projected profits. Effectively banning nationalisation of industry, financial institutions or natural resources, meaning these things will always be used in the interests of the ruling class, not for the maintenance of our educations systems, infrastructure, health and social care, for job creation for the betterment of everyone and not just the few.
The establishment media in the UK today are doing exactly the same as the establishment media did in Ireland during the Treaty of Nice and the Lisbon Treaty referendums; they are controlling the narrative, scaremongering and shaping the debate on a UK exit from the EU. It suits the pro-neoliberal “remain” campaign to have its opposition portrayed as rabid jingoist’s anti-immigration racists. Where is the progressive anti-capitalist Lexit voice in the mainstream media? The Lexit position been conveniently ignored, suppressed by the establishment in favour of the reactionary right-wing Brexit outlook.
A UK exit from the EU suits the long term Left Republican agenda, a UK exit creates momentum for the national sovereignty and self-determination debate. It allows progressive Irish, Scottish and Welsh political forces to continue to effectively campaign for independence. To call for a break from the UK for the same reasons as we are calling for a break from the EU. The concept of any break from the EU suits the calls from our Basque, Catalan, Corsican and dozens of other European separatist movements.
Be careful not to get sucked into the establishment pantomime between the reactionary right-wing and the capitalist political class. Vote along your class lines, Vote Leave, Vote Lexit.
